MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should you pay the cabbie?

jenniewb

If you got in the cab expeting to pay £20, the driver took you to your destination and everything was as expected (aside from the jumping or a red light which is dangerous and not OK) you should pay up.

surely the meter is like a price sticker in a shop- its an invitation to sell at that price, not the law to sell at that price. And in that same vein, not to pay up would be an offence itself.

MrsE_2

My DH is a cab driver.

I would like to see a cab driver accept £10 for a £20 fare:rotfl:

johncolescarr

lying and cheating is no way to be a money saver, you are doing the cabbie out of business if you do this

mum2one

If i knew it was £20 would pay the £20, at the end of the day its thats cabbies living, I wouldn't want to be short changed in my wage packet x

fatgit

sophiesofa wrote: »

As soon as I get in a cab (a very rare occurance) I satre at the meter worrying about how much money I'm spending so I'd have told him straight away anyway.

Everyone makes mistakes so pay the full fair.

BigMikeyG

I'd see what he said at the end and if it was fair then I'd probably pay up

minerva_windsong

I'd tell him the meter wasn't on and then give him the £20 at the end. Owing to the wording of the post I suspect this is a journey the person in the situation takes regularly and therefore would know the ins and outs of.

pineapple

Are they allowed to take on passengers at red lights?
Actually I would sit tight and not mention the meter and wait and see what happens at the destination. I would not argue about the £20, but would secretly hope he might offer a discounted rate in the circumstances.

goldfishimon

Masonity wrote: »

It's happened to me a couple of times, and I have a simple policy.

I tell him he didn't turn it on. Once we get to our destination, if he tries to charge me the price on the meter I "tip" him the remainder of what it usually costs plus a quid or two. If he tells me it's "usually about" roughly what it is, I'll give him the same as above, what it usually is plus a quid or two. If he tries to take advantage in any way (by, say, inflating the "normal" fare), then he gets what the meter says, not a penny more.

This is precisely my theory on things. If someone tries to be greedy or take advantage, I wont tip them. If someone is generous then I will make sure I do.
I know strickly speaking it wouldnt be greedy to ask for the normal fare, & It also would be the driver's fault that the meter wasnt turned on, so if they told me then can only charge me what it says on the meter, although they are now at a loss, as long as I didnt feel pressurised I would make up the shortfall.

neatybum

MSE_Jenny wrote: »

Here's this week's hypothetical situation for you to cogitate on:

You jump into a cab at a red light, and, so he doesn't hold up traffic, the driver speeds away. You know the journey usually costs about £20 but halfway there, you realise he hasn't put the meter on. Would you argue it's his fault, and just pay meter price or just stump up the full cash?

I'm not really sure where the thing about an inflated price came from.It isn't mentioned in the original question, is it?

I use cabs in London a lot, and although I can't speak for those outside of the Capital, the majority of cabbies are just normal people trying to make a living. They are highly vetted by the Carriage Office and have to be of good standing as far as criminal records are concerned.

I have had it a couple of times over the many years, were a driver has forgotten to put the meter on. When they realise, they are always annoyed with themselves because they know that they have made a mistake and can only legally ask for the metered fare. It doesn't seem to be something they would choose to do.

So, if I know what I would normally pay for a set route, I would give that amount. We all make mistakes and I don't see why I shouldn't pay what I would have expected to pay, had he pressed a button when I jumped in (illegally?!) at a red light.

In my mind it's about being fair, and that way I can live with myself!